On the night of 6-7 May 2025, India launched Operation Sindoor. It was a well-planned and time-bound military operation launched in response to the Pahalgam terrorist attack on 22 April. What happened over the next 88 hours was a demonstration of India’s new and fully developed strategic doctrine: one defined by clear purpose, technological self-reliance, political will and the cohesion of the nation. Operation Sindoor rewrote the rules of military confrontation between nuclear-armed neighbors and set a precedent that would shape the security of South Asia for decades to come. Most importantly, for the first time, India fought and won against an enemy who actually appeared to be the combined might of two countries – Pakistan and China – on a single front. Although China kept itself out of the issue, it provided Pakistan with active satellite intelligence, electronic warfare support, cyber support and frontline military equipment including beyond visual range (BVR) missiles like PL-15. A major failure of modern conflicts – from the five-year-long Russia-Ukraine war to the current war zone in West Asia – has been that there is no exit strategy. Campaigns that have no definite end weaken economies, demoralize people, and lead to neither victory nor peace. Operation Sindoor consciously saved itself from this trap. It did what very few modern armies can do: define success even before the first missile was fired. India was very clear about its objective in this operation: to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure and those supporting it and to exit on its own terms – with no harm to civilians on either side. National security agencies had fixed 9 targets on the basis of adequate intelligence information. Each of them was selected for their specific role in maintaining the terrorist eco-system of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul Mujahideen. The first attack was completed in just 23 minutes. The entire operation was over within 88 hours. After this India forced the enemy to agree to a ceasefire on its own terms. This principle – entering with an objective, operating with precision, and exiting without excesses – is a style of controlled warfare rarely seen in modern military history. The geographical scope of Operation Sindoor also broke previous limitations. India did not limit its initial attacks only to PoK, but it also reached deep into Punjab, the mainland of Pakistan. Highly precise strikes were carried out more than 140 kilometers from the Indian border. The message was clear: no destination is beyond our reach. These attacks completely destroyed the command system of the most dangerous terrorist organizations working at the instigation of Pakistan. The most important thing is that Operation Sindoor exposed the nuclear blackmail. Whereas for decades, Pakistan’s nuclear umbrella had been used to give immunity to state-sponsored terrorism. (These are the author’s own views)
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Anil Chopra’s column: We have redefined the rules of war
